High-pressure continuous press



A. E.VELFSTRUM ET AL HIGH PRESSURE coNTINUouS- PRESS July 14, v1925. l A 1,545,318

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Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modified 1let.

Patented July 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES AXEL E. ELrsTiiUi/i Ann HARRY D. srALEY, oir-SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

HIGH-PRESSURE CONTINUOUS PRESS.

Application ii'iea June 10,;1921. ser-iai No. 476,529.

California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in High-Pressure Continuous Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to high pressure continuous press designed particularly for more or less perfectly expressing the juices from any material being handled, and Separating the juices and solid material in their linal delivery.

The press is of the plunger type, by means of which the material is forcedL past a section of gradually reduced area to exert an initial compressing action upon the material, the material being finally forced past an adjustable conical or pyrainidalabutment arranged centrally within the cage proper of the press and of increasing diiiie-nsion toward the voutlet from the press. The material being forced between the cage wall and the outer surface of the abutment is continually compressed inl its longitudinal travel in increasingdegree, the cage proper being formed to provide for the escape of.

the juices during this compression.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of the improved press.

Figqf is a side elevation of the same.

Fig., 3 is 4a longitudinal sectional view through the machine, driving parts being form of abutment andcage therewith. v y

Fig. 5 is a sectional view inoutline` illustrating a modification.

Theimproved press comprises a suitable supporting frame on which is mounted a hollow body 1, formed witha material inlet 2. The body Ais of uniform interior diameter and is formed near its forward end with a series of annular slits S'extending throughout an appreciable circumferentialarea of the body and providing an initial juice out- The exterior surfaceof the'body between and within the margin of the slitted area 3 is cut away at lV to provide the minimum interference with the escaping juices. A conical compressing section 5 is secured for` cooperating *to the forward end` of the hollow body 1,

this compressing 'section converging in the Vdirection of feed and being formed throughout an appreciable area with a juice escape 6 having` exterior outlet formations 7 similar tou juice escape 3 of the body.

A cage 8 is secured to the of the compressing section 5, the cage being made up of a series of axial aligned annular members .9 providing for the escape of juices between them. The members are of trimcated cone shape in cross section providing .divergent 'adjacent edges 10 on their outer surfaces. The inner margin of `each member is at an angle other thana right angle to the plane of the member, and the members are arranged with these inner sloping edges inclining toward the axial plane of the cage inthe forward direction.v This provides a series of pockets 11 on the inner surface of the'cage, for a. purpose which will liereinafter appear.

Gage members 9 are adapted to be adjustably held in cage forming relation in order that the size of the juicefapertures may be,

in a measure, controlled. This adjustable securing is through the medium of rods 12 passing through a flange 13 at the end of 4the compression member and the opposite end of the cage, the flange 13 andplate 14 being suitably recessed at`15to receive the final cage membersV andV the rods 12 being threaded for the reception of nuts 16, wherebyto provide theadjustment in an obvious manner. j 1

A conical abutment 17 is arranged within shaped element 18, a series of annular members 1 9 of increasing diameter, and a cap 2O member 18 and provided with a nut 22 forward end Vthe cage, being made up of aterniinal cone i beyond the cap member 20. The abutment f 17 is arranged withinthe cage andis of increasing diameter in the direction of feed of the material, so that in the outlet end of the machine there is a comparatively narrow annular margin betweenthe cage and abutment. The exterior formation of the abutment' provides the pockets 23 similar to the pockets 11 on the interior of the cage.

The abutment as a whole is mounted for adjustment longitudinally of thez cage through the use'of the rod 21, which for this purpose is mounted beyond the cage in a support 24 and is formedwith a thread 25, to receive an adjusting nut 26. Through the operation of the nut, the abutment may be adjusted longitudinally of the cage in an obvious manner.

A plunger 27 is mounted within the body for longitudinal movement through pitmen 28 operated by suitable driving means 29. The stroke of the plunger is substantially that of the length of the body 1 fromv the inlet 2 in the directioniof feed of the material.

The juice receptacle 30 is removably supported beneath 'the juice outlets from the press, and a conduit 31 leads into this receptacle from the lower forward portion of the abutment. A

In the'handling of certain materials, it is advisable to divide the same during the operation of the press, and for this reason it has been found of advantage to provide the t abutment with knives 32 and the interior of the cage with divisions 33 made up .of members 34. corresponding in size, shape, and arrangement to the members 9 of the cage proper. Vith the use of this type of abutment, the material is divided so that the juicesmay be more readily expressed. This is particularly advantageous in handling fibrous materials, such aspineapples, beet pulp, whale meat or the like.

The operation of the device will be. fully apparent from the above description taken in connection with the drawings'. The material to be handled is fed through the inlet 2 into the body and the iirst thinl liquids are discharged or drained through the juiceoutlet 3. The plunger moving'forward gradually compresses the material V'expressing the juices,l which escape through the outlet 6, the maximum compression of the plunger being exerted in the final aortion of*4 the stroke. The final pressure ofthe plunger so compacts the lmaterial that the' entire mass is forced through the press, expressing the juices through the cage outlets and into the interior of the abutment and finally discharging the thoroughly dry material in ribbon form between the 'cage and abutment.

In the use of the press there is no grinding action and hence the liquid expressed is entirely free of fine or minute particles of material which would otherwisehave to be strained from the liquid.

It is to be particularly noted that the abutment continuously increases the pressure on the solid material, thereby materially reducing the area of such material and permitting the liquid to be squeezed from the interior of the mass more readily than if the material were thicker.

Of course, the press and cooperating parts may be made of any desired length as 1required for kdiiferent materials. For example, a naturally dry material will require a less cage length than -a material having more inherent liquid.

rlhe important details of the press are the plunger, the cage, the abutment, and the provision for. discharge at the delivery end of the press. Any one of these parts may be independentlyV adjusted until all of such parts are in such working cooperation as to perform the desired functions of the press. For instance, the plunger can be made to move faster or slower, and any desired pressure can be exerted thereon. The cage can be shortened or lengthened and any required drainage area provided. The opening at the material discharge or delivery'end of the press can be made of any size. These relexible co-related combinations constitute the underlying principles of the invention.

The pockets provided on the interior of the cage and the exterior of the abutment form juice collecting pockets. As the material passes over the sharp ridge immediatelyr ahead of one of these pockets, such edge tends to. liberate the juices from the cells, in which such juices are contained. The juice liberated from the cells will tend yto. escape into the pockets, whichare formed by these ridges. n On the rebound of the plunger, there will be a tendency for the material to rebound into these pockets, and thus force the liquid out'thru the drainage area. On the next forward stroke of the plunger, the material will be forced out of these'pockets, again leaving an open space rfor the juices to collect. f

In Fig. 5, there is shown a slight modii-r cation, in which the abutment, indicated at 17, is movable during the movement ofthe plunger. To this end, the operating gear to which the pitman 28 is connected for the operation of the plunger 27, is provided with or operates a crank 86, connected by a rod 37 to a lever 38 pivotally mounted at 89 upon a fixture, and intermediately connected by a rod 40 to the abutment 17. The details ofthe structure shown in this figure are similar to those previously described, except in the specific instances above noted? From this construction, it will be apparent that an actual operation of the abutment during and with that of the plunger, is contemplated if desired.

Claims:

l. A material press, including a hollow body having a material inlet and juice outlets formed between the inlet and the front end of the body, a plunger adapted to reciprocate in said body for initially compress` ing and expressing juice from the material, a conical compressing section havingl juice outlets removably secured to the front end of the body for secondarily compressill ing and expressing juice from said material by conlining it within a smaller space,

cage having juice outlets removably secured to the last mentioned section, and a conical abutment formed of a plurality of members removably secured together and mounted in the end of the cage, said abutment being adjustable in length and formed with juice outlets j between the members, whereby one portion of the cage maintains the material in compressed relation for draining the juice therefromand the other portion coacts with the abutment for further compressing andexpressing juice from the material, the adjustability o-f the length of the abutment permitting the varying of the force of compression on the material, said abutment also serving to drain juice therefrom.

2. A material press, including a body having a material inlet and means for in itially compressing` the material therein and subsequently confining said material within a reduced section for expressing juice therefrom, a cage removably secured to said body formed of a plurality of annular members removably secured together and having juice outlets between the members, said cage being adjustable in length by adding or removing members therefrom, and a conical abutment formed of a plurality of members removably secured together and mounted in the end of the cage, said abutment being adjustable in length and formed with juice outlets between the members, whereby one portion of the cage maintains the material in compressed and reduced section for draining the juice therefrom, being adjustable for varying the draining operation and the cage and abutment cooperate to subject the material to a further compression, reduction in thickness and draining action for expressing juice therefrom, the abutment being adjustable for varying the above mentioned action. j

3. A cage for a material press, comprising a series of axially aligned-annular members of truncated cone-shaped in cross section to provide divergent adjacent edges on their outer surfaces, the inner edge of each member being at an angle other than a right angle to the plane of the member, and a conical abutment seated in the outlet end of the cage and having its exterior surfaces formed with a series of annular shoulders to cooperate with the inner, edges of the annular members of the cage for holding the material.

4. A cage for a material press, comprising a series of axially aligned annular members of truncated cone-shaped in cross section to provide divergent adjacent edges on their outer surfaces, the inner edge of each member inclining toward the axial vplane of the cage in the forward direction, whereby to provide a series of annular pockets on the inner surface of the cage, and a conical abutment seated in the outlet end of the ycage and having its exterior surfaces formed with a series of annular shoulders to coo-pverate with the inner edges of the annular members of the cage for holding the material.

In testimony whereof they affix their signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

AXEL E. ELFSTRUM. HARRY D. STALEY. l/Vitnessesf i I. WALTER WALKER, H. G. SQUIER. 

